We are a hardware design and manufacturing house associated with Foxconn. You may know that Foxconn is working with the most influential tech giants in the world. We know how to produce technology products at huge scale. However, Koobe was set up for a very different purpose. Koobe aims to help organisations and startups nurture innovation. We know that the early stage of innovation is full of risk and uncertainty. We want to be your partner, and contribute our knowledge of hardware technology, manufacturing and the supply chain. We can help you to navigate the uncertainty of that stage, and accelerate your speed once you validate the market for your innovation. We will be your best R&D partner for your ambition of world domination.

Manufacturing and Design

We are experts in mass production

Hardware is hard. Top-tier manufacturers like Foxconn have accumulated valuable hardware design and manufacturing knowhow. However, those valuable resources are only accessible to big companies. The reason is that manufacturing efficiency depends heavily on volume and scale. We have experience working with the most powerful technology companies in the world, and shipping the most transformative technology products in history. Koobe was founded to offer our expertise and resources to early-stage startups.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

We understand how startups work

We know startups do not have a rich experience of manufacturing. Koobe was set up to help startups scale smoothly until they are ready for our manufacturing and supply-chain powerhouse. We are fully aware that premature scaling can kill hardware startups. While you are still iterating your product and validating your market, we will collaborate with you through all the different stages of your business to help you avoid any fatal mistakes in product design and manufacturing.

Collaboration and Partnership

We believe in partnership and alliance

We always find opportunities to collaborate. We believe that collaboration is the only way to make a real impact on the hardware/IoT startup world. We have been in discussions with accelerators, universities, startup support organisations, product design agencies, other manufacturers and related organisations in terms of how we can join forces to offer better help and support to startups.

In Asia, we have a close partner, Kick2Real, an accelerator set up by Foxconn and Alibaba. We definitely want to build strong alliances with other partners, and help more hardware startups succeed.

How we work

We will not list all the services we can provide. Instead, we will work with you to understand what you need, depending on what stage your ideas have reached. We will then identify what you can use from Foxconn's resources and beyond. We are experts in scaling, but we also know that scaling too soon can kill startups.

IDEA

Idea & Early Prototyping

How exciting! You are working on an idea you are very passionate about. Of course, you would like to know whether your idea really can satisfy people's needs or solve a meaningful problem for your customers.

At this stage, we strongly suggest you leverage prototyping facilities in universities and maker spaces. You can then iterate and validate your idea early and cheaply. When you have reached a problem–solution fit and have a works-like looks-like prototype, then it is a perfect time for us to engage with you.

We can offer you high-level advice about your product design and manufacturing considerations. Of course, the consultation is free. We can offer you the advice via email, a chat over coffee or in an office.

ITERATING

Early Market Validation

At this stage, you have a much better idea what features you want to include in the first version of your product. You know what the product will look like and how it will work. Now you are very excited about building a working prototype.

On one hand, you are busy building the marketing momentum for a crowdfunding campaign with your early potential customers and supportive community. On the other hand, you also need to make sure you can make your working prototype work.

This is the perfect time for us to engage with you more. Yes, it is very exciting to build your working prototype and get ready for crowdfunding. However, we can play an important role in making sure your prototype is not just working but also ready for mass production.

PRE-ORDERS

Reaching Product-Market Fit

Now you have an awesome prototype that you cannot wait to show off on crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. People are all excited about your product and want one.

When backers know that you are working with Koobe and your product will be manufactured by Foxconn, you get extra credibility. People know that you have done your manufacturing feasibility test, and you are ready to deliver your product.

Once you reach your goal, Koobe will be ready to help you prepare for mass production. You can go raise further funding from investors or continue taking pre-orders for your first production batch.

SCALING

Mass Production and Distribution

We have our own retailer and distribution partners. We want to be more than your product design and manufacturing partners. We want you to sell more as well. We are very confident the more you sell, the more value from the Foxconn eco-system we can show you.

If you are interested in the Asian market, we also have Kick2Real, a joint venture between Foxconn and Chinese retail giant Alibaba, to help you sell more products in Asia.

Our goal here is to help you successfully ship the first batch of your product, and also reach a much higher volume with the following batches. We have one of the largest manufacturing capacities and global supply chains ready to support your growth.

Testimony

Hear what our customers are saying

“With Taiwan as home to Qualcomm MEMS Technologies’ growing manufacturing base, it is significant for its consumers to experience the unmatched performance benefits of mirasol displays...Koobe’s next-generation Jin Yong Reader further demonstrates a growing global preference for e-readers that can display a variety of color and interactive content even in bright sunlight.”

Clarence Chui, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.

“Combining Koobe’s expertise in design for manufacturing, and Foxconn’s supply chain resource, we successfully built the innovative e-Bag enTourage eDGe, a dual-touchscreen device that when open looks like a book. This is a leading innovation, and we are glad to make this concept finally come to life.”

Alexander Shustorovich, Chairman, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

“Many thanks for Koobe’s design and project management experience and Foxconn’s 4G ad retailer service in Great China. With their help, we successfully launched the first cooking tablet designed for the future kitchen, and now have a chance to take this product to this enormous market efficiently.”

Jean-Yves Hepp, QOOQ inventor and president and founder of UNOWHY

“We thank DFM, SCM, and the local RMA service provided by Koobe and Foxconn. Our global first 8” tablet, even prior to the iPad mini, linked to a consumer’s IP TV, was successfully delivered to the NA market and launched in the Chinese Market at the same time.”

Ben Wong, President and COO at VIZIO

Team Leaders

Our management is leading a team of startup, manufacturing and hardware design veterans

Josh Liu

Director - Management and Entrepreneurship

Josh is a serial entrepreneur with experience in both software and hardware startups. He is also active in the Lean Startup community. He is now working with other thought leaders to see how to apply Lean to hardware start-ups to help more hardware founders succeed.

Dr. Ray Wu

Director - Technology

Ray is our technology expert. As a veteran from Foxconn, he's an expert on the Panel-related product line, including EPD, LCD, and OLED. He oversees our technology team to help startups identify the best technical solutions for their hardware innovation.

Danny Tsai

Principal Project Leader

Graduated with an EE major from the University of Michigan, Danny is our principal project leader and has immense technical expertise. He has led a number of complex RD (radio frequency)-related tech projects, including 4G, WiFi, and IoT. Savvy in both technical and business communication, he is our go-to guy for making sure a project is delivered on time and with high quality.

We Love Hardware Startups

We believe in supporting hardware innovation. After seeing startups making similar mistakes, we think it is important for us to share our knowledge and stop startups from making wrong decisions.

Our hardware and manufacturing engineers are all veterans from top tier manufacturers, mainly Foxconn. If you have challenges in hardware design, design-for-manufacturing or supply chain, feel free to contact us. We will do our best to help.